title: Effects of alternative responses on behavior exposed to noncontingent reinforcement.
abstract: Noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) may decrease the frequency of behavior by either inducing satiation or terminating the response-reinforcer contingency (extinction). Another possibility is that the target behavior is replaced by other behaviors maintained by preexisting contingencies. We conducted 2 experiments in which we allowed access to a target response and several alternatives. In Experiment 1, NCR, preceded by contingent reinforcement (CR) for the target, produced a reduction in the target and an increase in the alternatives in 2 subjects with intellectual disabilities. To separate the effects of NCR from the availability of alternative responses, we presented CR conditions to 4 subjects in Experiment 2 with and without the availability of alternatives. The availability of alternatives decreased the target in only 1 subject. Subsequent manipulations showed that reductions in the target were solely a function of NCR for the other 3 subjects. Thus, response competition may have marginal effects on response suppression during NCR.
authors.affiliation: University of Manitoba and St. Amant Research Centre.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Virues-Ortega
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: Tara A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Fahmie
authors.forename: Jill M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Harper
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: alternative response; noncontingent reinforcement; preference assessment